Gennosuke Yokoyama

A Meiji-era newspaper journalist. A pioneer of social research in Japan. His pen names include Tengai Boubousei, Mucho, Mucho, and Jukaseki Shonin. He was born on February 21, 1871 in Uozu, Toyama Prefecture. He moved to Tokyo at the age of 16. He aspired to be a lawyer and graduated from Tokyo Law School (now Chuo University), but failed the bar exam repeatedly and began a wandering life. He became acquainted with Futabatei Shimei and Matsubara Iwagoro (1866-1935), who had already published reports on slums. Around this time, due to his own experiences, he became interested in the problem of urban poor. In 1894 (Meiji 27), he joined the Mainichi Newspaper Company, run by Shimada Saburo, and published research reports in the paper that vividly depicted the conditions of urban lower classes and workers. These were compiled into the book "Nihon no Kaku Shakai" (1899). Yokoyama's research report was a pioneering social survey that captured the realities of the urban poor and workers, the dark side of the nascent capitalism, through his keen awareness of the issues and precise observations. Yokoyama also participated in practical activities to organize the labor movement with Katayama Sen and others. However, he was not blessed with a good life, and died of an illness on June 3, 1915, in Hakusan, Tokyo. His other works include "Japan after the Inland Mixed Residences" (1899) and "The History of the Meiji Fugo" (1910).

[Teruo Ariyama]

"Only Volumes 1 and 3 of the Complete Works of Yokoyama Gennosuke published (1973, Meiji Bunken)" ▽ "Yuichi Tachibana's Critical Biography of Yokoyama Gennosuke (1979, Sojusha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治の新聞記者。日本の社会調査の先駆者。号は天涯茫々生(てんがいぼうぼうせい)、無腸、無蝶(むちょう)、樹下石上人など。明治4年2月21日富山県魚津(うおづ)生まれ。16歳のとき上京。法律家を志し、東京法学院（現、中央大学）を卒業したが、弁護士試験にたびたび失敗し放浪生活に入る。二葉亭四迷(ふたばていしめい)や、すでに貧民窟(くつ)ルポを発表していた松原岩五郎（1866―1935）と知り合いになる。このころ、自己の体験もあって都市貧民問題に関心をもつようになった。1894年（明治27）島田三郎の経営する毎日新聞社に入社、都市の下層社会や労働者の状態を活写した調査報告を同紙に発表。これらは『日本之下層社会』（1899）としてまとめられた。横山の調査報告は、勃興(ぼっこう)期資本主義の暗部である都市貧民や労働者の実態を鋭い問題意識と的確な観察とによってとらえた社会調査の先駆であった。また横山は片山潜らと労働運動組織化の実践活動にも参加した。しかし生活には恵まれず、大正4年6月3日東京・白山(はくさん)で病没した。ほかに『内地雑居後之日本』（1899）『明治富豪史』（1910）などの著書がある。

［有山輝雄］

『『横山源之助全集』第1巻、第3巻のみ刊行（1973・明治文献）』▽『立花雄一著『評伝横山源之助』（1979・創樹社）』

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